The invention relates to shoulder carriers having a movable shoulder strap.
Shoulder carriers, such as backpacks, golf bags, garment bags, mail-carrier bags, etc., are widely used and are available in a variety of different special-use and general purpose configurations. For example, backpacks are available for carrying small children, for carrying relatively large amounts of weight for extended hiking or cold-weather travel, for carrying schoolbooks, etc. Several such examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,679,108; 3,902,640; 4,384,602; 5,526,969; 5,529,229; and 5,547,461.
The invention provides a shoulder carrier having at least one shoulder strap connected to a container. In one aspect of the invention, the shoulder strap may be adjusted in lateral position on the container without disconnecting the strap from the container. For example, a lower end of the shoulder strap may be secured to a container so that the connection point between the lower end and the container may be moved from one side of the container to the other. Such adjustment may allow a backpack to have only one shoulder strap, yet allow the backpack to be worn with the shoulder strap on either the left or right shoulder. In one illustrative embodiment, the shoulder strap may be mounted so that it can freely slide from one lateral side to the other in response to the backpack being borne on a shoulder. Thus, the wearer need not take any specific action to move the strap. Instead, the strap may move automatically to a more appropriate position to allow the carrier to be comfortably worn.
In one aspect of the invention, a shoulder carrier includes a container into which items to be carried can be placed. At least one shoulder strap having upper and lower ends is secured to the container, with the lower end being mounted to the container so that a connection point between the lower end and the container is movable between lateral positions without disconnecting the lower end from the container.
In one aspect of the invention, a shoulder carrier includes a container in which to carry at least one item. An anchor is mounted to the container with the anchor generally extending laterally across the back of the container. A coupling is mounted to the anchor so the coupling is movable along a length of the anchor, and at least one shoulder strap has an upper end attached to the container and a lower end secured to the coupling.
In one aspect of the invention, the coupling may move freely along the anchor, or the coupling and/or anchor may be provided with locking or friction devices to help keep the coupling from moving relative to the anchor unless a locking device is unlocked or some other action is taken by a wearer.
In one aspect of the invention, a shoulder carrier may include a lumbar support so that weight of items in the container, as well as of the carrier itself, can be borne on a wearer""s shoulders as well as on the hip or lumbar region of the wearer""s back without using a hip belt. Weight of the carrier may be transferred to the wearer""s hip or lumbar region, at least in part, by the lumbar support. Weight transfer may be achieved by the lumbar support resting on the wearer""s hip or lumbar region using features of the invention, thus transferring weight away from the shoulder and making the carrier seem lighter to the wearer. Weight transfer may be enhanced by the way in which a shoulder strap is attached to the carrier container. As used herein, the term shoulder carrier refers to any device for carrying weight that includes at least one shoulder strap to transfer weight of a carrier to a shoulder of the wearer. Examples of a shoulder carrier are a garment bag, mail-carrier bag, golf bag, backpack, briefcase, purse, etc. The term lumbar support refers to a resilient portion of the shoulder carrier that can be used to contact and transfer weight of the carrier to a wearer""s lumbar region of the back or hips. Thus, the term lumbar support does not preclude an arrangement in which weight of the shoulder carrier is transferred only to a wearer""s hip, and not the lumbar region of the wearer""s back.
In one aspect of the invention, the shoulder carrier is a single strap carrying bag with a lumbar support. Thus, unlike conventional bags having only a single shoulder strap, the single strap shoulder carrier according to this aspect of the invention allows weight of the bag to be transferred to a wearer""s hip or lumbar region of the back in addition to the wearer""s shoulder.
In one aspect of the invention, the lumbar support may include an inflatable bladder.
In one aspect of the invention, the shoulder strap includes a pad to more comfortably and resiliently distribute force of the shoulder strap to the wearer""s shoulder. The pad can include an inflatable bladder and may have several compartments having a roughly rectangular pillow shape, e.g., to facilitate bending of the strap to conform to a wearer""s shoulder without kinking.
In one aspect of the invention, a shoulder strap pad is slidably attached to the shoulder strap.
In one aspect of the invention, the shoulder carrier includes a shoulder pad that has a fluid-filled bladder. The lumbar support also includes a fluid-filled bladder. The shoulder strap may have a lower end that is mounted to the container so that it may move between different lateral positions on the container without being detached from the container.
The invention also provides a method for positioning a shoulder carrier on a wearer. A shoulder carrier having at least one shoulder strap is positioned so that a lumbar support of the carrier contacts a lumbar area or hip area of the wearer. The shoulder strap may be adjusted from one lateral position to another without being disconnected from the container.
Various other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent and/or obvious from the following detailed description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.